HUDSON COUNTY -- A vote of county Democratic committee people held in Jersey City on Wednesday night made rumors official, naming Assemblyman Vincent Prieto new chairman, Jersey City Councilwoman-elect Diane Coleman First Vice chair, Barbara Stimato, Treasurer, and John Minella, executive director of the longstanding county political organization, the Hudson County Democratic Organization.

Prieto was named to replace Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith and is said to have been the pick of State Senator and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco.

Last week, Prieto said that Sacco has never interfered with his duties as Democratic chair in Secaucus and expects to have the same freedom to make his own decisions as Hudson County Chair.

Minella, one time aide to Bayonne state Senator Joe Doria and a retired employee of the NJ Turnpike Authority and Hudson County Department of Roads and Bridges, was selected after Tom Bartoli declined the post. Minella openly supported Steven Fulop in the recent Jersey City mayoral election. Stimato was formerly an aide to former Assemblyman Louis Manzo. Coleman ran on Fulop’s ticket for city council.

The dozen other vice chair position – which are seen as mostly ceremonial – were split between various municipal Democratic organizations.